Tag: Climax Series

Tetsuto Yamada was a little under the weather during the Climax Series. He caught a cold after the team's on-the-field pennant celebration on October 2. Source: Sports Hochi 10/18/2015

Yomiuri Giants

Shinnosuke Abe collected eleven hits during the Final Stage of the Climax Series and set a new record for most hits during one stage of a play-off/Climax Series. The previous record of ten was set by Munenori Kawasaki during the Second Stage of the 2005 play-offs. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/18/2015

The offense was 4-for-30 with runners in scoring position during the Final Stage of the Climax Series. They were shut down for twenty-five consecutive innings, between the 7th inning of Game 1 and the 3rd inning of Game 4. They were once shut down for twenty-two consecutive innings between Game 1 and 3 of the Final Stage of the 2010 Climax Series. The postseason record of twenty-six innings was set during the 1958 Nippon Series when Nishitetsu kept Yomiuri off the scoreboard between the 2nd inning of Game 5 and the 8th inning of Game 7. Source: Sponichi 10/18/2015

Yasuhiro Ogawa made it through eight innings on October 15. He is the first Yakult pitcher to pitch eight innings in a Climax Series game. The previous record of seven was set by Masanori Ishikawa in 2011 (Final Stage, Game 2). Source: Sanspo 10/16/2015 ... Through October 15, the Yakult starting rotation was 5-8 in sixteen Climax Series games. Six failed to make it through 5.0 inning; four lasted 5.0 to 5.2 innings; four between 6.0 and 6.2 innings; one between 7.0 and 7.2 innings; and one 8.0 or more innings. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/16/2015

Wladimir Balentien was so caught up in his thoughts after Game 1 of the Final Stage that he forgot his wife and daughter were waiting for him at the clubhouse and went home by himself on a cab after the game. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/16/2015 .. Balentien weighed 114 kilograms when he arrived in Japan in September. He managed to shed around six kilograms in about month after his return. Source: Sponichi 10/16/2015

Yomiuri Giants

Shinnosuke Abe recorded modashos in Games 1 (four hits) and 2 (three hits) of the Final Stage. He became the seventh player in NPB history to record modashos in consecutive play-off or Climax Series games. He joined Yohei Oshima (2013) as the only players to record seven hits in two Climax Series games. Abe now has three Climax Series modashos to his name (2011 First Stage, Game 2). Source: Nikkan Sports 10/16/2015

Possible starters for the first four games of the Final Stage: Shota Takeda, Rick van den Hurk, Kenichi Nakata, Tadashi Settsu. Source: Sanspo 10/13/2015

Yuki Yanagita (neck, left tibia) might be ready to play as a designated hitter. Source: Sponichi 10/13/2015

Nippon Ham Fighters

Kohei Arihara joined Tomoya Yagi (2006) as the only pitchers in franchise history to record a win during a play-off or Climax Series game in their rookie season. Source: Nikkan Sport 10/12/2015

Chiba Lotte Marines

Possible starters for the first four games of the Final Stage: Yuta Omine, Takuya Furuya, Ayumu Ishikawa, Hideaki Wakui. Source: Sanspo 10/13/2015

At forty years and ten months, Tadahito Iguchi became the oldest player in franchise history to hit a home run during a play-off or Climax Series game. The previous record of forty years and three months was set by Isao Harimoto in 1980. Only Shinjiro Hiyama (forty-four years and three months in 2013) and Takeshi Yamasaki (forty years and eleven months in 2009) have hit home runs during a play-off or Climax Series game at a older age. Iguchi's six play-off/Climax Series home runs is third most in NPB history. Source: Sponichi 10/13/2015, Sanspo 10/13/2015

Hideaki Wakui has three Climax Series victories, two with Seibu and one with Lotte. He is the sixth pitcher to record a play-off or Climax Series victory with two different teams. The other five pitchers: Kiyoshi Toyoda (Seibu and Yomiuri), Dennis Houlton (Softbank and Yomiuri), Toshiya Sugiuchi (Softbank and Yomiuri), Takahiro Mahara (Softbank and Orix), and Kenichi Nakata (Chunichi and Softbank). Wakui and Mahara are the only two pitchers to accomplish the feat with two Pacific League teams. Source: Sponichi 10/13/2015, Nikkan Sports 10/13/2015

The Marines will hold public viewings of the Final Stage at QVC Marine. Admission will be free. Source: official announcement

Yakult Swallows

Possible starters for the first four games of the Final Stage: Masanori Ishikawa, Yasuhiro Ogawa, Shohei Tateyama, Toshihiro Sugiura. Source: Sponichi 10/13/2015, Sanspo 10/13/2015

Aaron Poreda started and won his start against Hanshin on October 12. He is the sixth foreign pitcher in NPB history to record a win in his first appearance during a play-off or Climax Series game. Source: Sanspo 10/13/2015

Hanshin Tigers

Mauro Gomez and Matt Murton hit back-to-back home runs against the Yomiuri Giants on October 11. They became the first pair of foreign players in NPB history to hit home runs in consecutive at bats during a post-season game (play-offs, Climax Series, Nippon Series). Source: Nikkan Sports 10/12/2015

Shinobu Fukuhara picked up a save on October 11 and, at the age of thirty-eight years and nine months, became the oldest pitcher to record a save in a play-off or Climax Series game. The previous record of thirty-seven years and eleven months was set by Hitoki Iwase in 2012. Source: Sponichi 10/12/2015

Randy Messenger recorded a win against Yomiuri on October 11. It was the second Climax Series victory, third post-season victory (2014 Climax Series, First Stage, Game 1; 2015 Climax Series, First Stage, Game 2; and 2014 Nippon Series, Game 1) of his career. No other player in franchise history has three post-season victories. There are three with two post-season victories: Minoru Murayama, Rich Gale, and Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi. Source: Sanspo 10/12/2015

If Yuki Yanagita is not ready for the Final Stage of the Climax Series, the Hawks could turn to Seiji Uebayashi. If Uebayashi gets the start, he will most likely bat lead-off. Seiichi Uchikawa and Dae-Ho Lee could each move up a slot in the order to third and fourth. Nobuhiro Matsuda, Yuya Hasegawa, and Akira Nakamura could follow. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/11/2015

Nippon Ham Fighters

Sapporo Dome grounds crew spent about eight hours on October 8 treating the turf and setting a new striped pattern in the outfield area. Source: Sanspo 10/11/2015

Yomiuri Giants

On October 10, at forty years and four months, Hirokazu Ibata became the oldest player in NPB history to record a modasho during a play-off or Climax Series games. The previous record of forty years and three months was set by Kazuhiro Wada. Source: Sanspo 10/11/2015

General

The Hanshin-Yomiuri game on October 10 ended on a walk-off walk to Yomiuri's Yoshinobu Takahashi. Through the 2014 postseason, thirty-five Nippon Series and eight play-off/Climax Series games ended on walk-offs. The walk-off walk on October 10 was the first in postseason history. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/11/2015 ... Two Nippon Series games were won on walk-offs that did not involve hits: error during Game 6 in 1950 and a sac fly during Game 3 in 2003. At forty years and six months, Takahashi is the first player in his forties to record a walk-off during a playoff or Climax Series game. Toru Sugiura, at forty years and four months, recorded a walk-off home run during Game 1 of the 1992 Nippon Series. Source: Sponichi 10/11/2015

There are a number of candidates that could be ready to pitch in a Game 4 or 5: Kenichi Nakata, Kodai Senga, Hayato Terahara, and Jason Standridge. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/10/2015

Intra-squad tune-ups: October 8: Kodai Senga tossed three shutout innings. October 9: Tadashi Settsu gave up two runs on five hits over three innings of work, Hayato Terahara gave up a run over three innings. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/10/2015 ... Kenichi Nakata gave up a run (unearned) over three innings on October 10. He struck out six of the ten hitters he faced. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/10/2015

Yakult Swallows

Practice game against LG on October 9: Masanori Ishikawa started the game and gave up a run over two innings. Shohei Tateyama allowed a run (unearned) over three innings. Yasuhiro Ogawa tossed three shutout innings. Source: Sponichi 10/10/2015

I have collected basic pitching and hitting season stats for each of the four teams playing in the First Stage of the Climax Series. You can also view head-to-head stats for current First Stage opponents as well (like seeing how Shintaro Fujinami did against the Giants this year). The pages are a bit large (all the stats for each team are loaded on one page), so it might take some time to load.

Fukuoka singer-songwriter Chage is scheduled to sing the national anthem before Game 1 of the Final Stage. Kanna Hashimoto, also from Fukuoka, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Source: Sponichi 10/9/2015

Sho Nakata asked reporters not to talk to the younger players because they already have enough to worry about. Source: Daily Sports 10/9/2015

Chiba Lotte Marines

Hideaki Wakui will start either Game 2 or Game 3 of the First Stage. If Lotte wins their first game, he could end up with the Game 3 start. If they lose the first game, he could either start Game 2 or wait in the bullpen and pitch when needed. Source: Sponichi 10/9/2015

Katsuya Kakunaka will most likely make the Game 1 starting line-up on October 10. Source: Sponichi 10/9/2015

Yakult Swallows

The Swallows played a practice game against the KBO's LG on October 9. Masanori Ishikawa, Shohei Tateyama, and Yasuhiro Ogawa made appearances in the game. Ishikawa gave up a run over two innings. Players will continue to prepare for the Final Stage by playing in Phoenix League games on October 10 and 11. Source: Chunichi Sports 10/9/2015

Yomiuri Giants

Shota Shimizu is set to sing the national anthem before Game 1 of the First Stage on October 10. Fencer Karin Miyawaki and swimmer/diver Yuka Mabuchi will participate in the ceremonial first pitch. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/9/2015

Tatsunori Hara had Miles Mikolas and Tomoyuki Sugano doing similar workouts on October 8. He also limited their time with the media to make sure they did not accidentally give hints on when they were scheduled to start games. Source: Daily Sports 10/9/2015

The Giants called up Ikusei pitchers Shimpei Shinohara (186 centimeters), Taichi Tanaka (180 centimeters), and Shinnosuke Takahashi (187 centimeters) to toss batting practice during workouts at Tokyo Dome on October 8. The hope was to give hitters a chance to see baseballs thrown by taller pitchers before facing Hanshin's Shintaro Fujinami and Randy Messenger. Source: Sponichi 10/9/2015

Hanshin Tigers

Intra-squad game on October 8: Kosuke Fukudome got the start in right and batted third. He went 0-for-3. Source: Daily Sports 10/9/2015 ... Minoru Iwata started the game for the Reds and allowed one run over 5.1 innings of work. He tossed five shutout innings until he got into trouble in the 6th. Source: Sanspo 10/9/2015

The First Stage Game 3 start could go to Atsushi Nomi. If the Tigers advance to the Final Stage, Minoru Iwata could get the Game 1 start on October 14. Source: Sanspo 10/9/2015

Matt Murton missed an intra-squad game on October 8 because of pain in his right big toe. Seung-Hwan Oh is still having problems with his right adductor and could, worst case scenario, miss the entire postseason. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/9/2015, Sponichi 10/9/2015

Hayata Ito was supposed to join the Ichi-gun team for practices on October 8, but was unable to because he was not feeling well. Source: Sanspo 10/9/2015

There is a good chance Rick van den Hurk starts the first game of the Final Stage. Source: Sponichi 10/8/2015

Nippon Ham Fighters

Shohei Otani could start Game 1 of the First Stage and then be used as either a designater hitter or a bat off the bench in Game 2. Otani has recorded a plate appearance the day after he pitched in a game just twice in his professional career: made a start against Softbank and pitched 5.2 innings on July 4, 2013 then struck out swinging as a 9th-inning pinch-hitter against Orix on July 5; and tossed two shutout innings in relief against Lotte on August 9, 2013 before recording a pinch-hit at bat in the 9th inning against Lotte on August 10. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/8/2015, Sanspo 10/8/2015

Daiki Asama could make the starting line-up for the first game of the First Stage. Source: Sponichi 10/8/2015

Chiba Lotte Marines

The Marines were planning to go with a starting rotation of Ayumu Ishikawa, Hideaki Wakui, and Kuan-Yu Chen for the First Stage. But Wakui threw 137 pitches over ten innings on October 6. Lotte could change the order to Chen, Ishikawa, and Wakui. Source: Sponichi 10/8/2015

Yakult Swallows

If Wladimir Balentien is swinging the bat well, Mitsuru Manaka would like to bat him fifth. Source: Sanspo 10/7/2015

Yomiuri Giants

Potentials starters for the First Stage: Miles Mikolas, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Aaron Poreda. Source: Sanspo 10/8/2015

Hayato Takagi and Kazuto Taguchi pitched in a batting practice scrimmage at Tokyo Dome on October 7. Takagi faced sixteen hitter and gave up a home run to Leslie Anderson. Taguchi faced ten hitters, gave up one hit, and struck out six. Both pitchers are candidates for the Climax Series pitching staff. Source: Daily Sports 10/7/2015, Nikkan Sports 10/7/2015

Hanshin Tigers

Six-inning intra-squad game on October 8: Mauro Gomez started at first and batted fourth. He went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/8/2015 ... Hiroki Uemoto went 1-for-3 with a double. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/8/2015

The starting rotation for the First Stage could be: Shintaro Fujinami, Randy Messenger, and Minoru Iwata. Source: Daily Sports 10/7/2015 ... If the Tigers advance to the Final Stage, Fujinami could get the Game 2 start on October 15. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/8/2015

The Tigers finished the season 70-71-2. They are the fourth team to make the Playoffs/Climax Series with a record under .500. The other three: Seibu in 2005, Yakult in 2009, and Hiroshima in 2013. Source: Sponichi 10/8/2015

Other

The Hiroshima-Hanshin game from September 12 looms large in the wake the Carp finishing in fourth by just a half game. If umpires did not make a mistake with Kosuke Tanaka's hit in the 12th inning, the Carp could be in third place by half a game. Source: Sponichi 10/7/2015, Sports Hochi 10/7/2015